I don’t always love to look back and reflect. In theory I do, but I really have to be intentional to set that time aside to pause and see what’s working and what’s not working in my personal and work life.
So when we had a reflection workshop in the Freelance Editors Club in December, I had an aha moment that I’m confident is going to stick with me through 2026 (and beyond, honestly).
And it’s this: I tend to minimize what I do for work when I’m talking with people in my day-to-day life. If someone asks me what I do, I’ve caught myself saying something like, “Oh, I just freelance.”
I don’t know why I do this, other than maybe I struggle to explain what I do and who my clients are and how that fits into the book publishing industry as a whole?
Okay, maybe those are all factors.
But I also think it’s just a habit I’ve picked up to avoid sounding braggy, which is so silly for a hundred reasons. So from now on, I’m going to be very conscious about how I describe what I do. Because yes, I’m a freelance book editor. But that means I own my own business, which means I have to manage my web design, IT, marketing, accounting and bookkeeping, contracts, systems and processes, and professional development.
And I’m pretty damn proud of that, too.
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